Us and Them
by aFallensrequiem
Summary: Special Agent Kate O'Neill didn't believe in monsters and things that went bump in the night. Little did she know that meeting the Winchester boys would turn the world she thought she knew upside down in a single night.
1. Chapter 1

**So, for those of you who have read previous stories of mine, you can probably tell I have a poor record of actually completing things I start. Doesn't stop me from sharing what I've come up with so far with you all, though! Really, though, maybe this one will see the end? Let's keep them fingers crossed!**

**(insert standard disclaimer of how I own nothing but the shirt on my back and my character, Kate O'Neill.)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kate huffed and brushed a long strand of honey blonde hair out her eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time in the last minute. The wind had been steady all day, blowing grey storm clouds up from the west and deepening the 6:00 PM gloom, which made flashlights already a necessity. The insistent strand of hair snaked across her face once more and she almost screamed in frustration as she wrestled it back into place. A chuckle sounded from her feet.

"Having some issues there, boss?" a young, male voice sounded. Kate rolled her eyes, yanked her hair from its binding hair tie, and slicked it back into another tight ponytail.

"Quit calling me 'boss,' Drew," Kate muttered, purposely ignoring his taunting question. The young man at her feet named Drew, glanced up at her with a smirk and quickly snapped a picture of her with his camera, temporarily blinding her with the flash. Kate swore and flicked him off as she rubbed her eyes, but Drew just laughed before turning back to his task.

Her younger brother by five years, Drew had grown up tormenting Kate her whole life in a playful, sibling-rivalry sort of way. And while Kate had dished it out as best as she received it, she had always taken care of him in a maternal way. They remained close through their adolescence into adulthood, and now even worked together occasionally for Boston's FBI division: Drew in forensics and Kate as a special agent.

"Find anything yet?" Kate asked, bending to a squat next to her little brother. Drew lowered the camera he had held to his eye after snapping one more picture and gave a half shrug.

"Not really sure, honestly. The ground is so torn up around here, I can't tell if these are remnants of some boot marks or just nothing, really," he said with a sigh, looking at Kate almost apologetically. Kate gave a sigh as well and laid a hand lightly on Drew's shoulders for a moment as she stood.

"Just keep looking around. Let me know as soon as you find something," she responded, turning to walk away.

"Sure thing, boss," Drew said smiling, as he raised the camera to his eye once more.

"Agent O'Neill!" came a voice from the direction Kate was already headed.

"What do you have for me, Chris?" Kate asked as she ducked under the 'police - crime scene' tape her partner lifted for her and peered at what he held between one gloved thumb and forefinger.

"The team found this near the base of that tree, there," he said, holding the small, limp object higher in front of Kate's face so she could get a better look without having to don gloves to touch it. Kate squinted and rotated her face around the object, getting a better look from all directions.

"A piece of fabric? Looks like it came from a woman's skirt or something. The flowered pattern screams of my grandmother's old dresses," she asked, commented sardonically. Chris chuckled and deposited the piece of fabric into an evidence bag a member of the forensics team was holding out for him. His glove came off with a snap, as he ducked back under the tape with Kate and the two began walking back to their cars; Kate's 5'10" frame keeping pace with his 6'2" frame easily.

"They think it's mostly intact, but obviously it was part of or near some sort of fire or explosion. You saw the singed marks and holes?" Chris explained, while Kate nodded. "They also found what looked to be small bones of some kind scattered in the area where the fabric was found. Perhaps it was a bag that held the bones or they may be unrelated. Forensics initially said the bones almost looked human, though, which is what's making them so unsure. Maybe even those of a small child or infant." Kate furrowed her brow in concern at this news.

This was the third scene of its kind she had been called out to investigate after the local police admitted they had no idea what to do. The very first incident had been reported by a local group of kids who had stumbled across the gruesome scene about a month prior. Local police had started off the investigation with a dead body in a clearing, no leads, and no suspects. Beyond the fact they had no leads or suspects, what confounded the authorities the most was that the victim appeared to have been hanged to death. How that would have occurred in the middle of a wide, open field, no one could guess. When the second body was found only a day later – also in the middle of a clearing, but appearing to have drowned – they immediately reached out to the FBI, realizing this was out of their league.

The finding Kate and her partner, Chris, had been called out to this afternoon was now officially the fifth in a string of grisly murders, and previously they had been operating on not much more than the information local police had gathered. Each of the victims had been transients, known in the general area to flit from town to town looking for a quick job and a warm bed for the night. Kate thought how lucky they had been that the victims weren't local townsfolk, otherwise the town would most likely be rioting over the fact their members were dying and police had no idea why. But with the possible evidence found by her brother and the bag with the bones recovered by the rest of the forensic team, Kate was confident they could get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. At least she prayed it would be so.

"So," Chris started with a cheeky grin, his demeanour changing completely from hardened FBI agent to flirtatious and roguish rapscallion with the one word. He leaned casually on the driver's side door of Kate's vehicle in front of her, settling his left hand in his pant pocket. "Something spooky is going on here in Salem, huh?" He waggled his eyebrows at his implication. Kate just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? I swear; you and your horror movies, Chris. Life isn't a horror movie with monsters and the like. And just because it's Salem, doesn't mean a thing. It's just a normal, little New England town that happens to have a sordid past," she ranted, unenthusiastically. It was obvious she had had conversations like this one numerous times before with her partner, who was always insisting or trying to imply a cause for each crime more sinister in explanation than simply a disgruntled citizen or freak accident. Kate's words had no effect on Chris and his smile only broadened. Her right eyebrow raised at his expression.

"You know, speaking of horror movies, I never did get to really finish watching _Paranormal Activity_," he said in a low voice, closing the gap slowly between himself and Kate. She eyed him warily, as he stopped within a few inches of her and leaned his mouth next to her ear. To any onlookers it would have looked as though the two agents were sharing confidential words concerning the case, but Kate knew Chris' intentions better. "Something about you in nothing more than some scraps of black lace on top of me tends to be a bit distracting."

Kate's face flushed as her memory of the incident he described surfaced unbidden. The annoyed look dropped immediately from her face as her eyes shot around the crime scene furtively, trying to catch the eye of any potential onlookers. She cleared her throat, embarrassed. Chris stepped back from her to resume his initial position and smirked, enjoying the disruption he had just caused in his partner. He had always taken pride in his ability to get past her normally overly-serious nature, to the Kate he knew she really was: sensitive, soft-hearted, and incredibly feminine, though she liked to try and deny it. Kate brushed some strands of hair from her face that had somehow escaped her tight ponytail and looked up at Chris, her mossy green eyes now detecting more than just mirth twinkling in his own deep blue eyes.

"Chris, we've talked about this," she muttered, not wanting to go down that path with him again. Even though inter-office relationships were forbidden, six months ago, Kate and Chris had started ... something. It had never officially developed past post-shift and late night hookups and the like, but recently, Kate could tell Chris had started sharing feelings she had just felt emerging in herself as well. The realization had petrified her enough that she had put an end immediately to their little trysts, in the hope it would end the tension between them and they could resume normal life as just partners once more. She had never been good with serious relationships. Her longest had probably been in her senior year in high school when she dated a member of the soccer team for two months. Her friends had always accused her of being emotionally flighty and too serious natured to allow herself to get too close to another human being. The irony of it was that a deep, emotional bond was exactly what Kate wanted and never could seem to find. She never managed to blame herself, though, for all of her failed relationships.

Her efforts at putting a permanent end to her fling with Chris ultimately failed, however. He had continued pursuing her, making his thoughts and intentions known frequently enough that they rarely ever left her head, either. She couldn't deny her attraction to him; his dark blue eyes that held so much emotion, his dark brown hair that was nearly black, and his muscular physique toned from years in the marines prior to service as a police officer and now special agent. Every aspect was just about ideal. But beyond that Kate knew there was a reason their relationship had stagnated. It had lacked that deep emotional bond she'd been seeking but hadn't managed to find. Chris' feelings, she could tell, were stronger than hers; but she could never find it in herself to match them and had felt bad for potentially leading him on. The day she had met with him to end the relationship, she could almost hear her best friend at the time clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"_Another boy chased away, Katie,"_ she would have said.

"Look, I need to get going," she said, brushing past Chris and stopping the words that were about to come out of his mouth. His confidence wavered noticeable at her brusqueness and he shifted his weight as if it had physically knocked him off balance. Kate put a hand on the handle of the driver's side door and looked up at Chris patiently when he didn't immediately move away to let her in. He hesitated a moment more, his dark eyes searching hers for the emotion he was hoping see, before sighing and turning away in resignation when he couldn't find it. He pushed himself back into a standing position a few steps away and held the car door when Kate opened it and climbed in.

"Just think about it, Katie," he said softly to her, calling her by her nickname, before he swung her car door closed and walked off towards his own. Kate watched Chris' retreating back for a moment before sighing to herself, starting her car, and pulling away from the crime scene back towards the main road.

Her thoughts did not dwell long on Chris, though, before meandering back to the task at hand. What had that fabric been a part of and were the bones related? Had it been a small bag meant to hold the bones? If so, then why? Kate knew that the town of Salem drew a lot of tourists throughout the year, but always the most around this time of year: Halloween. That was when the real freaks came out. But somehow this all felt different than your run of the mill Wiccan-wannabe. Halloween was still a few days away, and Kate was just glad there had not been any evidence of escalation in these murders due to the impending holiday. The last thing she needed was to be reamed by her boss for not solving the case before more than one severed head was found at once.

* * *

After an arduous, traffic-filled drive and quick stop at FBI headquarters back in Boston to gather a few things, Kate finally arrived home. It wasn't until she had quickly changed into a loose tank top and faded, flannel pajama pants and settled on the couch with a glass of wine did she realize just how tired she was. This case had been testing every nerve for the past few weeks and the long hours she was putting in at the office and at home were beginning to take a toll. She sighed and rested her forehead on her drawn up knees for a few minutes, staring without really seeing at the beige couch cushion below her. She was irritated with Chris, too, for bringing their past up once again. She wished he would just get the hint and drop it once and for all. His constant hounding was really starting to mess with her head.

Mentally shoving her worries about Chris to the back burner, Kate sat up straight and took one last sip of her wine before swapping the glass for her laptop, setting the glass gingerly on the coffee table and pulling the computer into her lap. She booted it up and logged onto the FBI database. There was some research she wanted to do before tomorrow, so she spared herself one yawn before resolutely setting her tiredness aside for the time being to focus on the task at hand.

_"fabric: scrap, bag, cloth, bones,"_ she typed rapidly into the query bar and hit enter. A list of cases loaded on her screen and Kate inwardly groaned at the number shown at the top: "Showing 1-25 of 463." Kate fine-tuned her search a few more times before arriving at a more reasonable number and pool of potential matches. She was trying to find a link, no matter how small, to any other case in recent history that also involved objects akin to the fabric scrap and bones found today.

It was one hour later and two more glasses of wine before Kate found what she had been looking for. She scrolled slowly through the report, her lips moving as she read it silently to herself. She clicked a file attachment open and was presented with a picture that caused her heart to race for just a second. It was a picture of a swatch of fabric printed with tiny blue birds held in an unidentified gloved hand, which held a ruler against the fabric for measurement in the other hand. The fabric formed a sort of bowl in the person's hand, as its contents weighted the middle just a bit: small bits of bone, teeth, and tendrils of reddish hair.

"Bingo," Kate said with a smile. She closed the opened attachment and scrolled back to the top of the page and beginning of the report. Grabbing a pen and her legal pad, she scrawled the date and location this incident had taken place plus the case number for future reference. Fifteen minutes later Kate had found two other cases with the same MO and scraps recovered for evidence that appeared to be fragments of printed fabrics out of place for where they were found. She more curious than ever now about what exactly she was looking at. Where was this fabric coming from?

Kate pulled up Google on her browser and hesitated for a moment, contemplating what exactly to type. After a moment she made a decision and entered "_cloth bags bones murders_" then hit enter. Kate eyes scanned the results and she tried a few links that didn't amount to much. She was scrolling down the third page of results when a link's name caught her eye. She clicked it.

"Hex bags," Kate read aloud. "Bags used by witches, most often with malicious intent against a person. These bags are made of cloth, bound with leather, and contain a variety of ingredients; such as, herbs, talismans, and bones." Kate resisted the urge to roll her eyes instinctively at what she was reading. She didn't believe in this stuff, it was ridiculous. The fact that the webpage had a black background and ominous "horror movie sounds" playing on loop didn't lend much to its credibility or seriousness. She idly scrolled down and a picture caught her eye. It was of a supposed hex bag. A piece of leather had been bound into a sack sort of a bag; pink fabric peeked from inside the leather and Kate guessed it was the cloth component. A short description captioned the picture at the bottom: "_Hex bag found in Washington State. Contains bones of birds, dried thyme and rosemary sprigs, and one human tooth."_

Kate drummed her fingers slowly and rhythmically on the edge of the keyboard, her eyes pensively speed-reading the rest of the webpage with her chin resting in her left hand. Her left index finger tapped along to the same rhythm on the side of her nose as her drumming fingers.

"_To destroy a hex bag, the bag must be burnt. Interestingly, the fire that burns a hex bag will burn a vibrant blue,"_ Kate read. Her mind immediately recalled the singed marks on the cloth recovered from the site this afternoon and she frowned. There were so many similarities. Kate's mind refused to make the connection a realistic one, however. She jotted down into her notes to entertain the idea of a civilian cult or malicious tourists who were toying with common lore as part of their crime spree.

Even more exhausted and now perplexed, Kate tossed down her pen and exhaled a deep breath as she leaned back into the cushions of the couch. She yanked her hair free from its confining ponytail and relished the feeling of running her nails across her scalp as her hair fell just past her breasts. She seriously needed a trim. Glancing quickly at the clock and immediately wishing she hadn't, Kate grimaced at the ridiculous early morning hour it now apparently was. She logged out of her computer, snapping the screen shut when it finished, and arranged her notepad and other papers into neater piles on her coffee table as she cleaned up before bed. Lying in bed a short time later, she tried to shut her mind off to rest, but she felt ill at ease. Her dreams that night were dark and filled with exploding cloth bags and laughing skulls.

* * *

The next few days passed fairly uneventfully, which was good news for the drifter population, but bad news for Kate. There were no new bodies discovered and Kate worked diligently with Chris and other members of the team to try and recover any possible leads. She had been a little hesitant to share her initial research into the hex bags with her partner, who as expected, teased her at every opportunity for the entire day about her sudden conversion in her beliefs regarding the supernatural. But Kate ignored his jokes. She didn't even try to convince him of her theory, either, since he could never take a moment to be serious about it. She knew it sounded outlandish and just a little bit stupid, but hey - she was willing to do just about anything right about now to bring an end to this. Her boss had been a bit incredulous at first, also, raising an eyebrow at Kate's initial briefing of her new theory, but reluctantly gave her the go-ahead in the end to pursue it when she wouldn't quit badgering him with "Just one day of research into it and then I'm done."

Then the day of Halloween arrived and to say Kate was on edge would have been an understatement. Kate's one day of research had come and gone and revealed no new leads or credible evidence, much to her chagrin and annoyance of her boss. He had shared a few choice words with her before throwing her out of his office with the command of "End this already." But the verbal reaming wasn't the only reason Kate felt on edge. She felt that if there were to be any sudden escalation or new incident, it would occur today. Her head hurt just thinking about what would happen if another body was found along with another dead end.

Her mood soured considerably as the day wore on and her nerves became more and more frayed. She had felt so confident that the new evidence they had recovered from the last scene would reveal something, but never expected not a single damned lead. What was going on? Why was this damned case so difficult? Even the partial footprint her brother, Drew, had recovered amounted to nothing. The ground had been too torn up and the track mark too small to properly identify it against known cases. The other cases she had found on the database that had involved scraps of cloth had never been solved either and the leads those detective had managed to dig up resulted in dead ends.

"Knock, knock," came a male voice from the doorway of her office. Kate picked her head up from her desk and brushed the hair out of her face wearily. She had been lightly, but steadily, banging her forehead against the desk for the past few minutes in an attempt to force her brain to make a miracle, case-solving connection. All she had achieved was pin, sore spot in the middle of the forehead. Chris smiled affectionately at her disheveled look and leaned against the door jam. "I know you're worn out. Want to go grab a drink with me here in a few? I could definitely use one, and from the looks of you, so could you."

Kate just stared at him for a moment, her mind warring with itself silently over the decision. She shouldn't drink, knowing she could be called back on duty at any time this evening. And drinking with Chris? Maybe not the best idea …

"Fine," she decided abruptly and received a celebratory grin from Chris. _Fuck _it, she thought to herself as she gathered her belongings quickly, stuffing her case papers into her briefcase along with her laptop and other odds and ends. _This case is going to shit anyway. _Kate followed Chris out of the office, and they made their way out of the building to the underground parking garage where their vehicles were housed.

"Usual place?" Chris called, as they both headed for their separate vehicles.

"See you in a few!" Kate called back in confirmation. Kate nervously checked her reflection in the rearview mirror throughout the drive to her and Chris' local haunt, _Trade_. She knew this was probably a bad idea. She hadn't been really alone with Chris since they're talk to end things several weeks ago, and now she was meeting him at a place that held a lot of personal memories for the two of them with the very possible intention of getting absolutely shit-faced. What could she say; she had a bit of a self-destructive streak to her. At the next red light, Kate hurriedly adjusted her makeup and took down her hair, shaking it out with her fingers so the loose waves cascaded down her back in a shimmering gold. One final glance in the mirror was all she got before she turned the corner and the bar came into view.

"You're an idiot," Kate mumbled to herself, parked her car, and went to meet Chris.

* * *

"And then he looks at me with this absolutely stupid look on his face and goes, 'What?'" Both Chris and Kate dissolved into boisterous laughter at Chris' retelling of his favourite arrest. Chris wiped his streaming eyes as their laughter eventually died down, and Kate took another swig of her beer. She was three in and just beginning to feel the effects. Her head was buzzing pleasantly and she could feel her inhibitions falling away.

The bar was full to bursting, a majority of its clientele dressed in costumes that ranged from silly to gaudy to downright raunchy. Kate and Chris had managed two seats at the bar, but ended up sitting nearly hip to hip due to the crowd. As the evening wore on, the energy of the crowd only fueled Kate's intentions to have a good time without worries and that was where she found herself now. Her concerns revolving around their open case had faded to the background and the constant nagging in her head, asking "what the hell was she doing with Chris?" had been reduced to a low roar. She deserved her moments of carefreeness. When her job demanded so much of her – physically, mentally, emotionally – it was hard to find that balance without going insane.

Feeling the skin on the left side of her face prickle a bit, she turned and saw Chris watching her, a half-smile playing on his lips and his deep blue eyes flicking from her mouth to her eyes as they met his. Kate blushed a bit at his staring and smiled slightly. _Was there something on her face?_

"What?" she asked, taking in another mouthful of her drink.

"Want to get out of here?" he asked in a low voice, intention laced heavily in his words and his eyes dark with an emotion Kate just now recognized. She froze for a moment, the swig of beer she had just taken still in her mouth. All of her doubts and concerns regarding their quasi-relationship came surging back to the surface, leaving her momentarily feeling almost nauseous. After a slow moment, Kate swallowed her mouthful of beer noisily, licked her lips, and set the bottle down on the bar purposely before turning back to him. Her smile faltered slightly as she met his gaze.

"Ok," she agreed, giving a small nod. Momentary surprise flashed across Chris' face as he realized she had just said yes. He grinned widely and Kate couldn't help but match it with one of her own.

"Come on," he murmured into her ear, as he leaned forward to get off the barstool. He motioned to the barkeeper and paid their tab quickly, then grabbed Kate's hand and led her through the crowd towards the direction of his car.

The cool October air hit Kate's face as they left the bar in a hurry, turning the corner and heading down into the parking garage. When they reached his car, Chris used Kate's hand, which he still held, to pull her into the row of cars and press her tightly between his body and the side of his SUV. Kate's breath caught in her throat at the suddenness of the motion and the burning desire in Chris' eyes as they essentially devoured her alive. Chris pressed his right leg tightly between hers, pinning her effectively as one hand wound in her hair and the other gripped her waist. Kate's lips parted in expectation as Chris leaned towards her, both of their breathing heavy and ragged. Her heart was racing and she could feel his heart beat through their clothes; the tempo matching hers.

Just as their lips were about to meet, a raucous ringing pierced the silence. Kate jumped in surprise, her head hitting the car window as it snapped back at the sound. Chris growled in frustration, still holding onto Kate, knowing the moment was about to be over but clinging to it like a drowning man clung to a raft.

"That's our call, Chris," Kate urged gently after a moment when she saw that Chris wasn't moving. She winced at the dull ache growing at the back of her head and hoped there wouldn't be a lump. Chris looked deep into her eyes for a moment longer, his faces still inches from hers and Kate almost expected him to finish what he had started in spite of the incoming work call. Then he sighed angrily, releasing her and taking a step back to dig the ringing phone from his pocket. Kate took a deep, much needed breath to steady herself, then fished her own phone out of her pocket, already knowing who would be on the other line and with what news.

"O'Neill," she stated in greeting into the receiver, as Chris stated his own last name: "Ballard." The two agents listened to the news they were receiving simultaneously and exchanged glances. Kate hung up her phone a second before Chris did his and quickly bypassed him on her way to her own vehicle, avoiding the hand he reached out to stop her.

"Kate-"

"I'll meet you there," she called over her shoulder before Chris could say anything else or make an attempt to catch up to her. He didn't respond and instead she heard him swear loudly to himself and kick the tire on his car before climbing in and starting the engine. He sped past Kate whose car was parked closer to the entrance of the garage with a squeal of tires and not so much as a glance. Kate breathed deeply as she got into her car, started the engine, and began to back out. She was such an idiot; she never should have gone out with him tonight. Look at what had almost happened! Kate pealed out of the garage and flicked on her emergency lights, red and blue bouncing off neighbouring buildings as she sped towards the highway. Her guess at possible escalation had been correct and right on time, too, she noticed as she glanced at the clock on her dashboard and saw it was just after midnight. She hated being right. Kate merged onto the highway and began to head back towards Salem already dreading what awaited her.

* * *

Kate could see the crime scene in the dark even before she arrived at it, due to the large number of local, county, and federal squad cars all parked nearby with their emergency lights flashing. Red and blue dancing lights lit up the night garishly, casting elongated shadows from the trees that surrounded the clearing the crime scene was located in. A small wooden cabin sat at the edge of the clearing to Kate's right as she slowly pulled her car up and parked next to a state cop. The cabin appeared to have been abandoned for a long time, as it was obviously in a dire state of disrepair. This town was so old, she wouldn't be surprised if that cabin was one of the original buildings that had been long since forgotten with time. But tonight it was occupied once again.

Kate exited her vehicle and immediately began making her way towards the cabin, which was swarming with law enforcement officials. Yellow crime scene tape formed a giant "x" across the empty front doorway and wound its way around the entire perimeter of the structure. As she stepped onto the rickety porch, the old planks protesting beneath her weight, Chris appeared in the doorway and held the crime scene tape open enough for Kate to pass through. She brushed by him, purposely averting her gaze so as not to meet his eyes that were focused on her, silently urging her to look at him. She ignored him and moved towards the center of the cabin.

The inside of the old building looked as bad as the outside. Some of the floorboards were missing and the rafters of the ceiling were visible in spots where the ceiling had fallen in. The glass in the windows had been broken out long ago, and ragged edges that lined the window sills were all that remained. A cold draft blew through the cabin, sending an involuntary shiver down Kate's spine.

"What happened?" she asked, approaching a small group of members of the forensics team who were busy shuffling a large form into a body bag. The bag crinkled loudly as the body of a man was situated inside. A crime scene tech quickly drew the zipper up over the victim's body and face and hurried away to retrieve the paramedics, inadvertently leaving a small opening when he didn't drag the zipper far enough. A tuft of salt and pepper grey hair heavily saturated with dried blood jutted out from the top of the open bag. Kate grimaced.

"Found another body," came a male voice from Kate's right. Drew appeared at her side, studying a picture he had captured earlier on his camera. He tilted the display screen towards Kate and she leaned in to peer at a picture that depicted the graphic scene before it had been partially disassembled by those collecting evidence. The older man Kate had watched forensics stuff into a bag moments earlier, was pictured lying in a pool of blood on the rough, wooden floor of the cabin. Blood had poured from his ears, nose, and mouth and pooled around his head; covering the floor beneath him in sickly sheen.

"Gross, right?" Drew said with a chuckle and went to pull the camera away, but Kate grabbed his arm and squinted closer at the picture.

"Wait, why are his clothes all singed and burnt?" she asked, noticing the burn marks for the first time.

"Well, they think he was electrocuted," Drew replied in a "believe it or not" tone of voice. Kate cocked an eyebrow at him and glanced around at the interior of the cabin. This place had never seen an electrical system in its life.

"Elecotructed by _what_?" Kate asked, perplexed. Drew simply shrugged.

"That's your department, Agent Boss," he replied, cheekily. Kate rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond when Chris suddenly appeared at her side and grabbed her elbow to get her attention.

"Kate, we need to go. Just got a call of a body found in a house couple miles from here," he said breathlessly, stuffing his phone back into his jacket pocket, obviously just hanging up from the call that called them in. He leaned in close to Kate and lowered his voice, so he could speak directly into her ear. "Bunch of weird stuff found in the house, too. They think they might've found a bag like the one we found last week." Kate's eyes widened at that last piece of information.

"Seriously?" she asked, turning to look at him excitedly. She prayed this was the break in the case she had been waiting for. Chris nodded once, already speed-walking away from her back towards his car.

"Yes, let's go!" he called, ducking under the crime scene tape as he headed out the door. Kate whirled to face her brother.

"Scoot!" he exclaimed, motioning her away with his hand.

"Duty calls!" she said with a smile.

"Catch you on the flip side, sis!" Drew called, as she basically ran after her partner.

* * *

Kate's SUV screeched to a halt directly behind Chris' as they both arrived on scene at the same time. The neighbourhood the house with the body was located in was in the middle of the historic district in Salem. The street was lined with old Victorian homes, bursting at the seams with early American culture. On a warm, spring day Kate could imagine the sounds of kids playing mixing with birds chirping cheerily from the trees as the sun sparkled off the windows. But tonight the cold wind was gusting as the clock officially moved from late night Halloween Day to early morning All Saints Day. The moon was almost full and shining brightly, but not as bright as the garish emergency lights from a two cop cars splashing their colours over everything. It appeared they'd arrived almost immediately after the first responders, even beating the evidence team on scene.

Kate leapt out of her vehicle and hurried to the front of the two-story, Victorian at the epicenter of the crime scene. Chris caught up to her at the front steps and they entered the house together. The two agents flashed their badges quickly at a concerned looking town cop who greeted them at the door. The officer relaxed visibily at their identification and jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the rear of the house.

"Victim was found in kitchen. Lady was a freak, if you ask me," the officer drawled in a thick New England accent. Kate ignored his out of line comment and re-pocketed her badge.

"How was she found?" she asked, eager to see the scene awaiting her in the kitchen.

"Anonymous 911 call. Caller just said there was a lady in trouble at this address, refused to identify himself, and then hung up. Partner and I were the first ones here and that's how we found her," the officer stated simply. Kate nodded her head in appreciation and motioned for Chris to follow her.

"Thanks," she told the officer, then made her way towards the kitchen with Chris right behind her.

The body of a woman lay in the middle of the kitchen floor, blood pooled underneath her from an obvious stab wound to her chest, just below her heart. She looked young, maybe about thirty. Her dark hair framed her head like a halo; her brown eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling above her. But that wasn't what struck Kate most about the scene.

"Ugh, what is that smell?" Chris muttered, covering his nose and mouth briefly as a look of digust crossed his face. Kate wrinkled her nose, as well, resisting the urge to gag. Another officer who had been loitering near the body spotted the two agents and made his way over to them.

"Nothing like the smell of ma's homemade soup, eh?" he asked with a laugh, his accent as thick as the officer's who had greeted them at the door. Kate's eyes were watering slightly from the horrid smell, but she forced herself to overcome her nausea by thinking of anything but the smell. Chris had also lowered his hand from blocking the smell as he grew accustomed to it and was now wandering towards the body. Kate cleared her throat and blinked rapidly, clearing her vision.

"So, what is it, Officer Mitchell," she asked, glancing at the officer's badge for his name. Mitchell motioned towards the stove where Kate could see a large, covered pot resting on a burner.

"When my partner and I entered the home, the stove was on and that pot was boiling hot. Shit's that's in it is what you're smelling," Mitchell said. "Don't know what she was trying to make, but saying she needed some cooking classes is an understatement."

"What's in it?" Kate asked, curious now. She wandered towards the stove with Mitchell following close behind her. She reached the pot, pulled off the lid, and immediately regretted her decision to do.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, slamming it back down and back off, gorge rising again in her throat. She saw Chris send her a worried glance. Officer Mitchell just chuckled.

"I warned ya!" he teased, missing the glare Kate shot his way. "Weird shit in there. My partner was braver than me and took a good look. He said it looked like there were eyeballs and the like floating around." Kate's stomach turned in an unpleasant way and she felt she was fighting a losing battle with her gut.

"Thank you, officer," Chris chimed in, coming to Kate's rescue. Officer Mitchell smiled and dipped his head before heading for the front of the house, leaving the two agents alone.

"You ok?" Chris asked Kate, looking at her worriedly. He brushed a tendril of hair away from her face so he could look into her eyes.

"I need some air," Kate blurted, knowing she couldn't make it. She practically fled the kitchen, running out the back door into the backyard. The cool, clean air that hit her face was a welcome reprieve, but minutes too late. Kate doubled over and retched, completely emptying her stomach of its contents. She groaned when everything was finished coming up and spat a few times, trying to get rid of the metallic taste that now coated her mouth. She stood up straight, her legs wobbling slightly, and paced towards the back of the yard, breathing deeply. If her brother found out she had lost her lunch at yet another crime scene, she was never going to hear the end of it...

The sound of an engine rumbling to life from the alley behind the house caught her attention. It was a deep and throaty sound, surely belonging to a motorcycle or some kind of souped up car. Kate wandered curiously to the fence that separated the yard from the alley and rose to her tip-toes in order to peer over the top. The tail end of a wide, jet-black sedan appeared in her vision. Its headlights and taillights clicked on as the driver threw the car into gear and rumbled off into the night. Kate attempted to read the license plate, but the shadows were too deep in the narrow driveway and all she could make out was the plate's state of origin: Kansas.

"Hey, you ok?" Chris called from the open back doorway, breaking Kate's concentration. She frowned slightly to herself, but headed towards Chris after another moment's hesitation.

"I'm fine," she called back an rejoined her partner at the scene.


	2. Chapter 2

**Cranked this second chapter out pretty quickly, so I'm proud of myself there. Also, have a lot of good ideas I'd like to see myself write, so I shall keep plugging away!**

**Hope you all have enjoyed it thus far; sorry if the build-up is a bit lengthy. But hopefully this chapter makes up for that a bit by getting things rolling.**

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think below!**

* * *

"So what're your plans for next week?" Chris asked casually, taking a swig of his beer. He was lounging comfortably on the couch in Kate's living room, absently rubbing the foot Kate had deposited in his lap from her spot perpendicular to him. Her toe twitched suddenly as Chris accidentally tickled the bottom of her foot and she seemed to just realize the gentle ministrations he had been making. Her look of surprise she shot him around her laptop screen, which sat on her lap, must have looked like one of her glares because he widened his eyes innocently and lifted his hand off her foot.

"Sorry," he offered. Kate's softened her look into a sideways smile and considered pulling her foot out of his lap, not wanting Chris to be getting the wrong idea of why she'd invited him over. But damnit a foot massage was just too good to pass up right now. She wiggled her foot again, urging him to continue. Chris chuckled and began rubbing her foot again.

"Um, I'm not sure," she said, answering his question finally, her eyes fixated on the laptop. She glanced up at him. "Probably spending it by myself. Drew went down to St. Louis yesterday to be with his girlfriend and her family."

"What about your aunt? Weren't you planning on spending some time with her soon?" Chris asked, his eyes flicking back from the hockey game on TV.

"Emily? I haven't talked to her in a few days. Maybe I'll give her a call..." Kate said absently, her voice drifting off as she focused more intently on something on her laptop. Chris watched her for a few moments, waiting to see if she would continue her thought, then he groaned as the realization hit him.

"You're not _working_ are you?" he asked incredulously, setting his beer on the coffee table and reaching for the computer. Kate clutched it up defensively and bent the screen down so he couldn't peer over the top. "Come on, Kate, it's the weekend! You deserve at least one day off!"

"I'm not! I'm just... curious. I'm looking into something really quick," she said quickly, putting the foot that had previously been in his lap on Chris' chest to keep him at bay. The look on her partner's face told her he obviously didn't believe her.

"Are you still looking into that Halloween case? They labelled that cold months ago, Kate. The whole thing was a dead end. You're just going to drive yourself nuts keeping after it like that," Chris complained.

The case that had tortured Kate for nearly two weeks had seemingly ended suddenly that night in historic Old Town Salem. The body of the woman found in her home had been the last body to turn up and just as confounding as all the rest, since no murder weapon was found and there were no good guesses at a motive. After two months of no further leads or evidence or victims found, local police had labelled it a cold case and FBI had shelved it as well. But Kate just couldn't shake the feeling of strangeness when she thought about it all.

The things they had found had been written off for the most part as harmless trinkets of a Wiccan follower or someone who was playing a game of pretend: the boiling pot of distburing "stew", an old recipe book filled with unreadable text, and then what linked the woman's death to those of the transients - a small, cloth bag containing animal bones, dried herbs, and hair. The whole thing had left a bad taste in her mouth.

And then there had been that car she'd seen leave the scene. When she'd gotten back to the office after that hellish night, she had run a quick search for cars matching its description and license plate, but gotten no results. It was just another piece of the puzzle she couldn't write off that easily no matter how hard she tried.

"Fine," Kate said with a sigh, shutting the laptop screen and setting it on the coffee table. She crossed her arms over her chest and tucked her feet unerneath her. She focused her eyes on the hockey game and refused to look at him. Chris sighed and rolled his eyes, slumping back into his corner of the couch.

"Come on, Kate, don't be like that," he muttered. Kate shot him a look.

"Like what?"

"Like _that_. All irritated just because I called you out on being a workaholic," Chris said pointedly. Kate suddenly pulled herself to a kneeling position on the couch, jabbing her finger into his shoulder. Her green eyes flashed dangerously.

"I am not a workaholic! See? I'm sitting here, having a beer with a friend and watching the game. How does that make me a work-" Chris' lips silenced Kate as they met hers. Kate froze, her heart thudding heavily in her chest as all of her frustration fell away. Chris pulled back and studied her for a moment, his blue eyes dark with want. When he leaned in to kiss her again, Kate turned her face away at the last moment so his lips grazed the side of her mouth instead. She didn't meet his eyes as he stared at her, confused and slightly hurt.

"Chris, don't," she whispered, her voice low and soft. She spared a glance at him from underneath her lashes and her heart panged painfully when she saw the way he was looking at her. Chris reached over and with two fingers under her chin, turned Kate's face so she was finally looking at him.

"Kate," he started, the tone in his voice pleading. Kate was afraid of what the words to come out of his mouth next would be; partly because she didn't want to hurt him by telling him no, but partly because she wasn't exactly sure she _wanted_ to tell him no. Frankly, she was downright petrified at being this close to a human being and she felt like a deer in headlights. She was an idiot for thinking inviting him over to watch the hockey game wouldn't be misconstrued by him and made into an invitation for something else. Chris licked his lips as his eyes searched hers. His hand moved up to cup the side of her face and his thumb passed over her lips with a feather light touch.

"Kate, I-" Kate's phone burst to life next to them on the coffee table, the ringing raucously shattering the emotion of the moment. Chris frowned and dropped his hand from Kate's face as she dove for her phone, grateful for the interruption. She swept it up from the table as she leapt to her feet and paced a few steps away before flipping it open.

"Hello?" she answered, breathlessly.

"Can I please speak to Ms. Katherine O'Neill?" a clipped, male voice crackled over the line. Kate frowned at the use of her full name, just now wondering who this was calling her.

"Yes, this is she," she replied. "Can I help you?"

"Ms. O'Neill, do you have a brother by the name of Andrew O'Neill?" the man asked in the same clipped tone. Kate's heart began beating a little faster and she unconsciously brought her fingers to her throat in concern.

"Yes?" she replied hesitantly.

"Ms. O'Neill, I'm sorry to have to inform you this way, but your brother's body was found this evening in the home of a Ms. Sophia Cardlow, who was also found deceased," the man spoke quickly, at least having the decency to sound sorry about the news he was delivering.

Time seemed to stop just then. Kate's vision darkened and her heart dropped into her stomach. Bile rose in her throat and she was almost sure she was going to pass out as she wavered on her feet. Kate reached a shaking hand out to the overstuffed armchair nearby, grabbed onto the arm, and leaned her full weight on it as she slowly sunk to her knees. She heard Chris leap to his feet to her left and rush to her; strong hands were immediately around her, helping her settle to the floor. The man on the phone was still talking, but Kate could barely make out what he was saying.

"... apparent murder-suicide-"

"I'm sorry, what?" Kate blurted, the phrase jolting her out of her stupor.

"Well, Ms. O'Neill, preliminary findings suggest that your brother killed Ms. Cardlow then himself," the man said apologetically. He continued talking again, but Kate wasn't listening anymore. They think her brother killed his girlfriend then killed himself? That was impossible. Drew loved Sophia. He was so happy...

"Ms. O'Neill?" the man on the other end of the line asked, bringing Kate back to the present once more.

"Yes?" she croaked, her voice breaking.

"Will you or another family member be coming to release the body?" Kate heard herself answer that she would be coming, but she lost awareness of the rest of the conversation. She heard without really hearing the man give her information about where Drew's body was being held and what she needed to bring with her. When the man finally stopped talking, Kate simply clicked the phone shut and let it drop to the floor.

"Kate. Kate! What is it?" Chris asked her urgently. He was still squatting next to her, one arm around her waist supporting her and the other now brushing hair out of her face as she turned towards him. Her affect was completely blank as shock set in, but her green eyes were positively mournful. She opened her mouth once, twice, trying to form words.

"I need to go to St. Louis."

* * *

Kate kept her head down as she pushed past the throngs of people in the busy airport in her efforts to get to the exit. She fought the urge to scream when what seemed like the hundredth person knocked into her, but settled for sending scathing glares in the perpetrator's direction instead. The flight in had been bad enough; full of turbulence and overly-chatty flight attendants. But this airport was really trying her patience. No one had ever accused her of being a patient person and now was definitely not the time to start.

After hanging up with the man from St. Louis, Kate had frantically packed a bag with a couple days worth of necessities, booked the first flight out, and called her boss on the way to the airport to say she wouldn't be in for a few days. At her news he had urged her to take more than just a few days off, but she had refused and promptly hung up. She didn't want to dwell on it. She barely wanted to believe it had happened. She told herself that she would only need the few days to retrieve Drew and hold the funeral, then she would be back at work. No big deal, right? When Chris had tried to comfort her, Kate had already emotionally shut down and he had found himself essentially holding an empty shell of his former partner. She hadn't responded to his touch nor looked him in the eye, even as her cab to the airport was pulling away from her front step.

Finally Kate emerged into the bright, mid-March sunlight and breathed an audible sigh of relief. It was warmer than it had been in Boston, but the air still had a pleasant nip to it she relished and found actually calmed her a bit. Her preference for colder weather had heavily influenced her move to New England from her home in Northern Virginia when she left for college. But with summer fast approaching, she new the cooler weather wouldn't be along too much longer.

"Are you available?" Kate asked a taxi driver who was leaning casually against his cab. The man nodded and popped his trunk so Kate could load her luggage. She tossed her suitcase in and then tossed herself about as unceremoniously as the luggage into the backseat. She handed the cabbie the address of the motel she wanted to stay at and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the window as the cab driver put the car into gear and started off towards their destination.

A light vibration caused Kate to open her eyes and fish her cell phone out of her purse. She had forgotten she'd turned it back on when her flight landed. She flipped open the screen and saw that she had four missed calls and five new texts. Sighing inwardly, she pressed the "ok" button to view her missed calls: Emily, Emily, Chris, and Emily. Three voicemails also apparently awaited her. Kate knew she wasn't being fair to her aunt by ignoring her at a time like this. Her Aunt Emily had practically raised Kate and her brother, but she just couldn't deal with actually speaking to another human being about any of this yet. Kate hit a few buttons and flipped through the new texts: two from Emily, one from Chris.

"_Sweetheart, call me, please. I want to talk to you. Love-Aunt E."_

_ "Katie, I want to make sure you're ok, call me. Love-Aunt E."_

_ "Let me know when you land so I know you're safe. I'm here if you need anything. C"_

Kate snapped her phone shut and turned her face back towards the window, letting the sun warm her face. She would talk to them later. Right now she just needed to work on continuing to breathe.

"Miss, we're here," the cabbie called, jolting Kate out of her light sleep. Kate didn't even remember closing her eyes, let alone falling asleep. She ran a hand down her tired face and nodded in quick thanks to the cab driver who was looking at her with a mix of worry and hesitation.

"Hey, um, would you mind waiting here for just a few minutes? I want to check in, but then I need to go rent a car," she asked after handing the driver payment for her fare. The driver nodded as he pocketed the cash.

"No problem," he assured her and she gave him a small smile before exiting the cab. Kate retrieved her luggage from the trunk and stepped up towards the main office of the seedy, little motel before her: _The St. Louis Motel._

"How original," she muttered to herself.

A few minutes later, Kate was locking her belongings into her newly acquired room and heading back towards the cab. She instructed the driver to take her to the nearest car rental agency and settled back for another ride, eager to get a set of wheels of her own, even if they were temporary. She couldn't stand being a passenger, especially in a car. Her anxiety went into overdrive and she became antsy.

Thankfully the ride was short and before she knew it, she had paid the cabbie one final time and had rental car keys in hand. Leaning against the black, Chevy Malibu that would be hers for the next few days, Kate pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. It was barely nine o'clock in the morning and she knew the city morgue would just now be opening. She considered heading back to her motel room for a quick nap or at least going to grab a bite to eat, but at the thought of food, her stomach turned queasily. Attemping to nap she also knew would be just as pointless, seeing as everytime she closed her eyes, she saw her brother's body contorted in all sorts of violent manners. And Sophia; she remembered the last time she had seen Drew's girlfriend of nearly four years. She had a bright, sunny smile that matched her seemingly eternal cheerful disposition. The two had been so in love; even a stranger could see it within minutes of meeting them. How could Drew have killed her?

Kate decided the short nap she had managed in the cab on the way in from the airport had been enough of a Godsend and she would just continue running on fumes. Kate entered the address of the morgue into the GPS she had rented along with the car and gave it a minute to register and find her a route. Once it began reading off her first set of directions, Kate got in and started the car, then pulled off into traffic in the direction the GPS indicated.

* * *

The clock changed to 9:24 am. A car horn blared in the distance. 9:25 am. Kate unconsciously twirled a plain, silver band she wore on her right ring finger around and around. Her eyes were fixated on the entrance to the morgue and hadn't left the front door in nearly ten minutes. While it had only taken her about fifteen minutes to drive from the car rental agency, she hadn't found the strength to actually go in and face what was waiting there for her yet.

9:26 am.

She knew it had to be done. It was the reason she had raced out of Boston in the middle of the night to be here first thing this morning. Her brother was in there, waiting for her. She had to go get him.

9:27 am.

Kate practically threw herself out of her car before she could change her mind and walked on stilted legs into the front lobby. The front room she stepped into had a stark, hospital feel to it that did nothing to help put Kate at ease. A couple of chairs sat in the middle of the floor as a sort of "waiting" area and informational signs and city ordinances papered two of the four walls in a haphazard manner. The industrial lighting overhead flickered spastically and Kate immediately could feel a headache coming on.

"Can I help you?" a nasally, female voice called from Kate's right. Kate's head swiveled in the direction of the voice and she saw an elderly woman looking at her impatiently. The woman was just about as grey and unwelcoming as the building she worked in, her rheumy eyes hard behind bright red, "cat's eye" glasses and her grey hair pulled tightly back in a strict bun at the base of her neck. Kate cleared her throat and approached the security glass the woman sat behind.

"Hi, yes, I'm here to sign some releases for my brother: Andrew O'Neill," Kate stated into the open circle of the glass, her voice sounding a lot stronger than she had expected. The old woman blinked slowly at her.

"One moment please," she said, and slid off her chair to shuffle off towards a filing cabinet behind her. Kate glanced anxiously towards a set of swinging doors to her left as the woman rifled through the cabinet in search of the papers Kate needed. Her years in law enforcement had taught her well to know what lay behind them.

"Excuse me, actually, can I go see him first?" Kate called suddenly, her heartbeat thudding loudly in her ears as her heart raced. The woman turned away from the cabinet and eyeballed Kate, her mouth pursing in disapproval at the request.

"Miss, I would need to ask my supervisor and-" she began in a slow, annoyed drawl. Kate didn't have the time or the patience to play this game. She yanked her badge off her belt and slammed it against the plexiglass of the security window.

"Please?" she nearly growled. The old woman's eyes shot open in surprise and her mouth formed a perfect "o." She managed a meek nod and pointed towards the swinging doors to Kate's left.

"End of the hallway on your right." Kate repocketed her badge and managed to send the woman what she hoped was an apologetic look.

"Thanks," she muttered gruffly and pushed through the doors.

The hallway before Kate was short and lit with more industrial lights that had a sickly, green tinge to them. She ignored the other doors she passed; her eyes focused on the one at the very end to her right. Without hesitation Kate pushed through the door.

"Whoa, you can't be back here!" a man dressed in scrubs exclaimed. "Do you have a visitor's badge?" Kate held up her FBI badge for the second time.

"Does this count?" she asked curtly. The medical examiner nodded and set down the clipboard he'd been holding.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"It's fine," Kate said, cutting him off. "I'm here to see Andrew O'Neill." The man gestured for Kate to follow him.

"He's over here. Just finished with him, actually," he said. Kate swallowed the lump that was rising in her throat as she walked with him to a wall of morgue drawers built into the opposite wall. The medical examiner ran his finger over a row of drawers until he found the one he was looking for and yanked it open.

"Here we are," he said. Kate's feet felt as though they were rooted in place as she stared at the black body bag lying on the pulled out drawer and she felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Ma'am?" the doctor questioned when Kate didn't make a move to speak. Kate tore of her eyes from the form of her brother and looked at him.

"Thank you," she stated, even managing a small smile. "Would you mind actually giving me a moment... alone?" The medical examiner eyed her strangely but then nodded slowly.

"Sure. I have some paperwork I need to complete anyways," he said finally, and retrieved his clipboard before leaving the room. Kate watched him walk away until he disappeared through the swinging door and then she turned her gaze back towards the black bag. She felt as though an eternity passed before she reached out and slowly drew the zipper back, exposing her brother's face.

"Oh, Drew," she murmured, tears welling immediately in her eyes. Her brother almost looked like he was simply sleeping with his eyes closed and almost peaceful expression on his face. That is if she wanted to ignore the circular, bullet hole tunneling through his right temple. Kate tremulously reached a hand out and touched his cheek, jerking it back involuntarily at the coldness of his skin. She choked back a sob that bubbled to the surface and furiously wiped away an errant tear that tracked down her own cheek. She refused to cry. Crying was a sign of weakness and she refused to lose herself right now.

Kate zipped the body bag back up over Drew's face, not able to stand looking at him like that anymore. She quickly pushed his drawer back into the wall, closed the door, and practically fled the room and hurried back to the main lobby. Kate burst through the main set of swinging doors and emerged in the dimly lit front lobby. The elderly woman at the front desk jumped at her sudden entrance, dropping the stack of papers she held in her arms with a loud "thump!"

"I'm ready to sign those papers, now," Kate said, wincing as the woman glared at her for causing her to drop the papers. Kate waited impatiently at the window while the elderly women retrieved the papers she had previously gathered for Kate and shoved them at her through the narrow slit at the bottom of the glass. Kate smiled at her in thanks then silently made a face as the old woman ignored her and turned away to pick up the dropped papers.

As she flipped through each page, signing where needed, a low rumble from ouside distracted her and caused her to look out through the window into the parking lot. A large, jet-black, older model sedan pulled up next to Kate's parked rental car and turned off. Something in her memory clicked and she glanced at the license plate: Kansas. As she stared, paperwork momentarily forgotten, two men stepped out of the car dressed in simple black suits. They stood together conversing and she could see now they were young, probably even close to her own age. The taller one said something to cause the other one to punch him on the arm before jerking his head in his direction as he headed for the morgue's front door. Seconds later the door jerked open and the two men walked through. Kate's eyes met those of the shorter man as the two approached the security window. When he saw her, a roguish look glinted in his hazel eyes and he smirked.

"How you doin'?" he asked. Kate snorted and glanced back at the taller man who was with him. He simply flashed her an apologetic glance before she shuffled her papers off to the side of the counter so they could access the window.

"Can I help you boys?" the old woman drawled at them.

"Yes ma'am. I'm Agent Clark and this is Agent Kent. We're here to see two bodies that were brought in last night," the shorter man said brusquely. At their introductions, Kate peered at them from underneath her eyelashes, watching as they pocketed their badges. She saw the elderly woman shoot her a glance as if to say "There's more of you?" before she jerked her thumb towards the twin, singing doors. The two men nodded their thanks and disappeard through the doors. Kate turned back to her paperwork, but paused her pen above the next signature line. She chuckled to herself. Agents Clark and Kent? Really? Kate lowered her pen and moved back to the window.

"I'm sorry, I just realized I left something back there. Would you mind if I went to get it really quick?" Kate asked the woman behind the window, pushing her forms in through the slit at the base of the window towards her. The old woman just sighed angrily and pointed towards the swinging doors.

"Damn kids, nowadays. No respect for authority," she muttered to herself as she snatched Kate's papers away from her. Kate ignored her ranting and walked quickly through the twin doors. She heard the two men talking amongst themselves and followed their voices right back to the room where Drew's body along with the others was being held. Stepping through the door, she saw both men bending over Drew's body, poking every few inches of exposed skin.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kate snapped, her hand instinctively resting on her holstered pistol that sat on her hip underneath her light jacket. The two men jumped, obviously not expecting any interruptions. The taller one raised both hands up in front of his chest as he saw her flash her gun, "guilty" written all over his boyish features. The shorter one noticed the reaction and elbowed him before donning a disarming smile and pulling out his badge again for Kate.

"I'm Agent Clark and this is-"

"No, you're not," Kate said sharply, cutting him off. The man looked taken aback and glanced back at his "partner" who gave him a small shrug. "Give me your badge."

"What?"

"I said, I want to see your badge," Kate repeated, holding out her hand and motioning impatiently. "Agent Clark" scowled and tossed it to her. She flipped it open, examining it for a few seconds. Chuckling, she flinged it back at him, hitting him hard in the center of the chest with it.

"Yea, bullshit. You're not FBI," she said with a smirk.

"And how do you know that?" the shorter man argued defensively. Kate pulled out her own badge and dropped it open towards them.

"And because you spelled 'bureau' wrong," she quipped, snapping her badge shut and putting it away. The two men exchanged looks, knowing they'd been caught.

"So, before I arrest you for impersonating federal officers, who are you and what are you doing to my brother?" she said in a low, dangerous voice. Her admission that the body they had been examining was a member of her family caused them to exchange glances again.

"My name is Sam, and this is my brother Dean," the taller man offered in a gentle voice. Dean gave her a small wave. "You said this was your brother? Do you know what happened to him?" Kate shifted her weight, relaxing slightly, but didn't remove her hand from her weapon.

"All I know is that the police think it was a murder-suicide. That he killed his girlfriend then shot himself, but I don't believe it," she said, her throat tightening with emotion. Sam nodded empathetically and stepped away from Drew's body towards Kate as Dean zipped the body bag back up and reshelved Drew.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked softly. There was something about his demeanour that put Kate at ease and the way he was looking at her sympathetically calmed her. Kate took her hand away from her pistol and wrapped her arms around herself instead.

"I just- I just knew him and he isn't... wasn't that type of person, you know? He loved Sophia, like really loved her and he was so happy..." The tears Kate had forced down earlier came surging back to the surface and she cut herself off mid-sentence, turning away from Sam so he wouldn't see her cry. A warm hand rested gently on her shoulder as Sam waited for her to gather herself. Kate ran a hand over her face and took a deep breath to calm herself before she turned back to meet Sam's gaze. _He's so tall_, she thought to herself. Even at 5'10" she had to crane her neck back to meet his eyes.

"I'm fine," she whispered, twisting her shoulder slightly in order to dislodge Sam's hand, growing uncomfortable with his close proximity. He sensed her discomfort and took a step away from her to give her some space. She flashed him a silent look of appreciation.

"Sam, I don't think this is our guy," Dean cut in, walking up to stand with his brother. "I'm not even really sure this is related to your pal, Zach. I mean the M.O. kind of matches, but..."

"I don't know, Dean. According to..."

"Kate," she offered when he realized they had never gotten her name.

"According to Kate, here, I think it _is _related to Zach," Sam countered, looking back at Kate who frowned at him, puzzled.

"What're you guys talking about?" she asked, looking from brother to brother. Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Dean simply gave her a dismissive smirk, winked, and clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder, steering him towards the exit.

"Oh, nothing. We actually need to go, now. It was nice meeting you!" he exclaimed with false cheer.

"Wait!" Kate called after them. Sam stopped first and then Dean, both turning to look at her. "You guys were in Salem about a month ago, right? The night that woman died in her home?" Sam looked caught off guard and Dean narrowed his eyes at Kate, taking a step towards her.

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"I saw your car in the alley that night. My partner and I were the lead agents on the case; not only with the woman who died but all those drifters who were found," Kate explained, crossing her arms over her chest. She narrowed her eyes right back at Dean and took a step towards him, too, so they stood only a foot apart. She was on the end of her emotional rope and tired of being jerked around by these two. She could tell they knew something they werent telling her. And who was this Zach person they kept talking about? "Who are you guys? And I don't just mean what are your names. I mean... _who are you_?"


	3. Chapter 3

**First, I want to start off with apologizing for all of the spelling and grammar errors in the first two chapters (and any chapters yet to be written.) I'm writing this story on my netbook, which doesn't have Word, but instead has Word's backwoods third cousin: WordPad. Damn thing doesn't have an automatic spelling and grammar checker, and re-reading my writing only works but so well.**

**So, slightly lame apology, but I really am sorry. Every time I found one, I cringed.**

**Second, I want to thank LeeMarieJack for your reviews!**

**But, anywho - third installment and we're finally picking up some steam. Hope you all enjoy it and please review to tell me what you think!**

* * *

"And the house special for the gentleman," the waitress said, setting a large platter of miscellaneous breakfast foods on the table in front of Dean. Dean rubbed his hands together gleefully and didn't waste any time shoveling a piece of bacon into his mouth. Sam watched him in mild disgust from the corner of his eye, but Kate's look of disgust directed towards him from across the table was plain as day. Dean glanced up from his feast, his eyes meeting first Kate's then Sam's. A forkful of scrambled eggs paused halfway to his mouth.

"What?" he asked. Sam just smiled and shook his head, sipping his orange juice, while Kate turned her face away and stared out the window. Her plate of french toast sat untouched before her, as she still couldn't stomach the thought of eating. The smell of the diner alone was enough to make her queasy, and all of Dean's lip smacking was just making it worse. Her stomach turned as he noisily slurped his coffee.

"So, tell me exactly what you all know about what happened to Drew," Kate said to the two brothers, turning back to look at them. Kate had convinced the brothers to agree to tell her what they knew about how her brother died, but not after a lot of hesitation on their part. She could tell there was a giant part to all this they didn't want her to know; a part that probably had a lot to do with the fact they were entering the morgue to view a body under the guise of federal agents. At this point she didn't really care if they were criminals or what sort of sordid history they might have because for some inexplicable reason, she found herself trusting them. All she knew was that they had valuable inside information she needed. Dean jerked his thumb over at his brother and crunched loudly on a piece of toast.

"Sammy will fill you in, won't you Sammy," Dean said, giving both Kate and Sam an obnoxious grin. Sam sighed and folding his hands together on the table, leaned towards Kate.

Sam told Kate what had brought him and his brother to St. Louis. He told her how he had gotten an email from an old college friend, Becky, saying her brother had been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, but she knew it couldn't have been him. Something about him being out late with her that night, so unless he had been in two places at once, he couldn't have killed her. Apparently the way Zach had allegedly killed his girlfriend matched the description of how Sophia was presumed to have died by Drew's hand; hence, why Sam and Dean felt obligated to check into her brother's case. Kate felt her mouth go dry and she cleared her throat a few times.

"How did Sophia die?" Kate asked, her voice sounded hoarse and unsteady. She dreaded what they were going to tell her and she almost didn't want to know, but knew not knowing would just drive her insane. She had to piece this puzzle together. Sam and Dean exchanged glances and Kate could tell they were hesitant to tell her, as well. For once Dean's eyes didn't seem to be mocking her as he looked over his breakfast at her. The same sympathy she saw in Sam's eyes was lurking there in the hazel depths of Dean's.

"Well, uh, Kate," Sam started, choosing his words carefully. "The police said she was found tied to a chair and that she had been beaten pretty severely. What killed her though, was her throat was slit." Kate's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said, softly. Kate brought her hands up to cover her mouth and hiccuped hard once, then twice. Dean looked at her, slightly amused, but then the smile dropped quickly from his face as he realized what was about to happen.

"Oh, Jesus, you're not going to ralph are you?" he exclaimed, leaning as far away from her as he could. Sam did the opposite and leaned forward towards her in concern, trying to peer up into her down-turned face. Kate nodded and held up a finger, asking for a moment. She hiccuped once more, then slowly took her hands away from her mouth and breathed deeply through her nose.

"Ok, I'm ok, I'm ok," she whispered as a sort of mantra to herself.

"Maybe you should eat something," Sam encouraged, nodding at her cold french toast. Kate just shook her head and breathed out through her mouth as she leaned back in her seat.

"No, I'm fine," she said with finality. After a few more long moments of Kate quelling the rebellion happening in her stomach, she focused her mind back on the problem at hand and frowned. "So, what is it you guys aren't telling me?"

"What?" Sam asked, an uneasy smile dancing across his lips.

"I can tell when someone's lying to me. It's my job, actually. And right now, the two of you are lying by omission," Kate stated simply. "So tell me what it is you don't want me to know for some reason."

"You wouldn't believe us even if we told you the truth, blondie," Dean muttered, taking a swig of his coffee. Kate's eyes shot over to him and she glowered at him.

"Don't call me blondie, you jackass," she said through clenched teeth, bristling at the nickname. "And just try me." Sam looked away from Kate, running a hand over the back of his head. Dean just glared back at Kate and copied her crossed arms stance. The two of them stared at each for a long minute, neither breaking to look away.

"You know what, fine," Dean said finally, leaning in towards Kate. Kate stifled a look of surprise as Sam whipped around to look at his brother.

"Dean, you can't tell-"

"If she wants to know the truth, then that's what we'll tell her," he said, cutting his brother off, his eyes still never leaving Kate's. She leaned slowly in towards him, resting her folded arms on the table as she prepared herself for what she was about to hear.

"We think it's a shapeshifter," Dean said simply. Kate blinked. A long moment of silence passed amongst the three of them and Sam closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"What?" Kate asked, smiling slightly and looking from brother to brother for the joke they were surely telling her.

"A shapeshifter. Something that takes the shape of other humans to meet its own needs," Dean repeated. Kate laughed this time, unable to control herself.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she said with a grin.

"Didn't I say you wouldn't believe me if I told you? Isn't that what I said, Sam?" Dean said smugly, speaking first to Kate before turning to his brother. Sam just shook his head.

"Well, either way, we have an idea of who is committing these murders around here and we have a pretty good idea of where we can find him," Sam stated. At this Kate perked up and looked at Sam excitedly.

"Really? You mean you don't think my brother killed Sophia, either?" she asked, deciding to ignore the inane joke Dean had tried to pass over on her.

"Right," Sam and Dean agreed together.

"And you both know where to find this guy?" Kate asked again.

"Right," the brothers said, nodding.

"Great! Well, I'm coming with you, then!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together as the decision was made.

"Right- wait, what? No!" Dean stammered, his smug look disappearing from his face and one of surprise instantaneously replacing it. Sam looked equally flustered and reached a cautionary hand out towards her.

"No, Kate, you can't come with us. It's too dangerous," he said urgently. Kate rolled her eyes at the brothers and pulled her hair band out, unbraiding her hair deftly with her fingers, vaguely aware of Dean's eyes watching her fingers move.

"I'm a federal cop, you guys. The very definition of my job is danger. I'm not just any other girl who can't hold her own, you know," she said pointedly. "I mean, shit, I can probably shoot better than you boys." She finished unplaiting her hair and ran her fingers through its roots, relishing in the feeling of her hair being loosed from its confines after spending so long tied back. Dean, who had been trying not to openly stare as Kate undid her hair, started at her teasing jab.

"Hey!" he shouted angrily, though a bit delayed. Kate just smirked at him and winked.

"Plus, I think I deserve the chance to exact my own revenge on this son of a bitch," she added, growing serious once more. "He killed my brother and I want a run at him. And if you know where to find him, then I'm coming with you." Sam made a contemplative face and then turned to Dean, raising his eyebrows as he silently asked his brother what he thought.

"Hell no!" Dean exclaimed emphatically.

"Dean, she does kind of have a point, about her brother and all," Sam urged. "Not to mention she's right about being able to handle herself. If anything having an actual cop with _actual_ credentials would help us out in the long run and save us some trouble. I say we give her the chance." Dean shot his brother an incredulous look, tossing the unfinished piece of toast in his hand onto his plate as though Sam's words had just caused him to lose his appetite.

"I can't believe you want her to tag along. This isn't that simple, _Sam_," Dean said to his brother in a threateningly low tone. Kate frowned taking offense at Dean implying she would be a burden.

"Look, if you boys don't want me coming along with you, I'm sure I can figure this out on my own and find the guy myself," she said easily with a shrug. "Just hope you won't get in my way." Kate could tell that went over just as poorly as suggesting she come along with them.

"Ok, fine," Dean spat, finally. He was frustrated and didn't like the idea of having a plus one, but he could tell Kate was stubborn and telling her no didn't mean she would take no for an answer. He felt better about having her with them instead of sending her off alone to face off against the thing they were hunting. Just in case. Plus he easily believed her when she said she would strike out on her own in order to find this thing, and that was the last thing they both needed; some inexperienced, greenhorn getting in their way and possibly getting killed in the process. He didn't like the idea of being responsible for collateral damage. Dean leaned forward towards Kate, pointing a finger at her.

"But you listen here, blondie. You take our lead on this one. I know you're probably used to running your own cases, but this one's going to be a little different," he said, laying out the ground rules. He could see rebellion burning behind Kate's green eyes as she debated whether it was worth it or not to argue with him, but it faded as she let out a breath and stuck out her hand for a handshake.

"You boys have got yourself a deal."

* * *

Kate lounged on one of the queen-sized beds in her motel room, idly flipping through the contents of her phone. She had parted ways with the Winchesters at the diner after they made plans to meet back up after dark at her motel, which gave her a good couple of hours to relax and ruminate on everything that had happened since she first arrived in Missouri. She had quickly texted Chris that she had landed and was fine before tackling the issue of contacting her aunt.

In the calm and quiet of her room, she took the time to listen to her voice mail, having acquired two new messages from her aunt since landing hours earlier. The last one from Emily made the decision for Kate of calling her back right then and there, since she sounded practically frantic she hadn't heard from her niece. Already feeling horrible about being so distant, Kate knew she had to call her aunt back soon or Emily would have the local police checking up on her. Kate navigated her list of contacts until she came to the entry, "Aunt Emily," selected it, and hit "send." The phone barely rang once before it was snatched up on the other end.

"Hello? Kate? Is that you?" the voice of an older woman came across the line.

"Yea, Emily, it's me. Sorry for not-"

"Damnit, Katie, I told you to call me as soon as you got in! I was so worried about you!" her aunt shouted, silencing Kate's apology for not doing just that. Both women were silent for a few moments, as Kate was taken aback at the emotion in her aunt's voice, not exactly sure how to respond. She heard Emily sigh defeatedly.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," she apologized, her voice sounding weary. "I just- when I got word about your brother, and then didn't hear from you... I didn't know what to think. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I've been so_ worried._" Kate placed a hand over her eyes, her bottom lip quivering with held back tears as the love of her aunt washed over her. Kate sniffed loudly.

"It's ok, I understand. I'm sorry for worrying you, I never meant to," Kate said softly, her voice wavering dangerously. She cleared her throat to steady herself and continued. "But I am ok, I got in a few hours ago just fine; already have a room and a car rented."

"Have you seen Drew?" her aunt asked quietly. Kate was silent, the image of Drew's lifeless body rising in her mind.

"Yea, I saw him," she said finally. There was silence on the line again as Kate knew her aunt was considering a thousand different questions she wanted to ask, but knew now wasn't the right time. Kate broke the silence first, wanting desperately to move the topic away from how she was feeling and her emotions in general. She knew her aunt and others who had passed their condolences on to her all meant well, but getting all touchy-feely was uncharted territory for her and each time someone asked her "are you ok?" it only made her want to punch them.

Kate talked with Emily about the release papers she had signed for Drew's body, the logistics of how he would be transported back to Virginia for burial, and of the funeral that would have to be planned. Emily offered to take the lead in planning the service; an offer Kate leapt on, thanking her aunt graciously. She knew her mind was focused elsewhere and leaving Missouri right now to go plan a funeral was not on her immediate list of things to do. After asking her three more times if she was all right, Kate's aunt finally let her off the phone, urging her to call for any reason if she needed anything at all.

Kate snapped the phone shut, stared at it for a moment, then dissolved into tears. These were the first, real tears she had allowed herself since learning of Drew and the sadness that came with them was overwhelming. Sobs racked through her slim frame as she curled into the fetal position on her bed, her phone still clutched in her hands, as a child would clutch a teddy bear for comfort. In time Kate's tears subsided, her breathing evened out, and she fell into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Time to rise and shine, sleeping beauty!"

The sound of a fist hitting the door jolted Kate out of her heavy sleep and she sat up so fast, she nearly tumbled right off the side of the bed. The banging continued as she blearily checked the time on her phone and grumbled when she realized she'd slept the entire day. Her eyes felt swollen from crying herself to sleep, her clothes were rumpled, and she was sure her hair was a tousled mess; but still she hoped she didn't look too ghastly as she stumbled towards the motel door. Any other day she'd have been mortified looking as she did in front of two, attractive guys, but right now she just couldn't find it in herself to care.

"Hold your damn horses," she called, half-heartedly as she approached the door and wrenched it open. Dean stood there, his fist raised mid-air with his brother Sam leaning casually against the door-jam beside him.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Dean taunted cheerfully, taking in Kate's sleep rumpled glamour. She simply made a face and flicked him off, turning her back on them and walking back into her room in search of a change of clothes.

"I didn't mean to sleep as long as I did," Kate said apologetically as she rummaged through her suitcase for a change of clothes. "Would you guys mind waiting just a few minutes so I could take a fast shower? I still smell like the airplane."

"Well, you could, but once you see where we're going, you'll probably regret it," Sam cautioned, closing the door behind him as he and his brother entered her motel room. Kate's still half-asleep mind took a moment to process his words.

"Where are we going?" she asked, carefully.

"The sewers," Dean chimed in.

"The what?"

"The sew-"

"Yea, I heard you the first time!" Kate exclaimed in frustration, throwing the clothes she had been holding in her hand hard onto the floor, then diving back into her suitcase for something else. She yanked out a small, black t-shirt and a pair of jeans that looked to have a bit more "wear and tear" to them. "Give me a second," she said, and disappeared into the bathroom. Sam and Dean exchanged glances with each other as they heard the door lock click into place.

"Guess we woke the sleeping bear, huh," Dean commented, flopping down onto the extra bed in the room and turning on the tv.

"Lay off her, Dean. She's been through a lot," Sam chided with a frown, sitting on the edge of the bed opposite to him. Dean glanced over at his brother as he flipped through the channels, not finding anything worth watching.

"I'm just not too fond of having her around like this, dude. It's bad luck," he commented. Sam snorted.

"Really, Dean? Bad luck? Since when have you ever believed in luck?" he argued incredulously and his brother just shrugged.

"She doesn't even know what she's up against," Dean complained. He finally gave up on channel surfing and shut the television off, tossing the remote onto the bed next to him. "I don't want to hear it from either of you when she finds out she can't handle it and goes running for the hills; that is, after she completely gets in our way and screws everything up. I'm pretty sure she thinks this is just going to be a rousing game of cops and robbers where the bad guy goes to jail in the end and the townsfolk all rejoice."

"Good thing I'm the national cops and robbers champion, then, huh?" Kate called, emerging suddenly from the bathroom. She had swapped her button down shirt and slacks for a form-fitting, black t-shirt and pair of jeans with a hole in one knee. She had also donned and laced up a pair of tennis shoes and secured her belt with her gun and badge around her waist. At her words Sam at least had the decency to look abashed at being caught talking about her, but Dean just shook his head and stood.

"Whatever you say, blondie," he muttered, walking to the door and flinging it open.

"Ready?" Sam asked Kate, trying for a smile, but Kate noticed it didn't exactly reach his eyes. She smiled back, but her own smile was unsteady and unsure. Something about the look in Sam's eye worried her more than all the warnings Dean had been spouting off at her today. She nodded once and followed him out to the Impala, which already sat rumbling loudly in the parking lot.

"Watch the leather!" Dean yelped from the driver's seat as Kate scrambled into the back seat, her foot sliding across the back of the front bench seat. She sighed in irritation and lightly kicked the back of his seat causing him to whip around and point at her threateningly. Sam settled into the passenger seat beside his brother and as soon as his door was closed, Dean threw the car into gear and pealed out of the parking lot.

"So you think this guy is hiding out in the sewer system?" Kate asked, leaning forward on the back of the front bench between the two boys as Dean sped through town. Sam nodded.

"We followed a trail at Sophia's house that led down into one of the manholes, so we're pretty sure that's how he's been avoiding the cops and pulling a fast vanishing act," Sam explained. At the mention of Drew's girlfriend, Kate felt her heart ache a bit. But there were more important things to accomplish right now and so she resolutely pushed the hurt emotion to the back burner and focused her energy on the task ahead. Sam filled her in on all the other little details they knew about the assailant and before she knew it, Dean was parking the car in a small alleyway behind a row of townhouses.

The three of them exited the car and Kate took in her surroundings as the brothers rifled through the Impala's trunk. The sounds of gun slides drawing back caught her attention and she furrowed her brow as she approached the rear of the car. She wasn't expecting what the trunk contained.

"Holy shit," she whispered, tracing a finger lightly down the barrel of a sawed off shotgun. "You guys know a majority of these things are illegal in all 50 states, right?" Dean eyed her warily as he quickly checked the clip of the pistol in his hand. Slamming it into place loudly, he smirked at Kate.

"Yup." Kate watched him brush past her, uneasy and feeling for the first time unsure about her company. It really dawned on her how little she knew these two men and now seeing what they apparently drove around with in the back of their car on a regular basis was a little unnerving. Especially knowing she was about to embark on some sort of secret adventure in the sewer tunnels below the city with them. Sam seemed to read the discomfort in her posture as worry for her brother and he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it'll be all right. We'll get the guy, don't worry," he said assuredly. Her uncertainty began to dissipate a little with his concern and she allowed herself a small smile.

"Sammy! Blondie! Come on!" Dean hissed at them, waving them over to the open manhole in the center of the street. Kate and Sam hurried over to Dean who was already halfway down the ladder, each of them following close behind the other. One after one they dropped to the dank floor, each making just about the same digusted face as the smell of their surroundings hit them. The three of them turned their flashlights on, made sure their weapons were drawn and ready, then started down the narrow tunnel before them.

The tunnels stank to high heaven, but Kate didn't really know what else she should have expected. The light from their flashlights cut starkly through the darkness, illuminating their path ahead of them as they trodded along. Kate felt something suddenly drop onto the back of her neck and she muffled a scream at the last moment, frantically trying to flick away whatever it was that had landed on her. A terrified mouse squeaked as it hit the floor and scurried away. Dean looked back at Kate from his position in front of her and shined his flashlight directly into her eyes, causing her to swear and throw up a hand as a shield.

"You're such a girl," he commented dryly.

"Har har," she countered sarcastically, flipping him the bird.

The three of them continued down a series of twists and turns in the tunnel, then out into a large chamber every once in awhile before being shuttled back into another narrow opening. They examined their surroundings carefully as they went, looking for any signs the assailant had been this way. Kate followed behind Sam with Dean close behind into another tunnel with a large pipe running alongside them to their right.

"I think we're getting close to its lair," she heard Dean suggest from behind her, as she glanced warily at a mouse scurrying by her left foot.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked.

"Because there's another puke inducing pile next to your face." Kate looked up at what Sam's flashlight beam was concentrated on as he groaned in disgust. What almost looked like a giant pile of gelatinous, bloody mucus sat only inches from Sam's face. Kate immediately began gagging.

"Jesus, Kate! You know, for a cop, you sure have a weak stomach," Dean accused, jumping back a step to give her space and more importantly, so she didn't ruin his leather jacket. Kate forced down the revulsion and straightened slowly, choosing to glare at him instead of testing her luck and opening her mouth to speak.

"Looks like he's lived down here awhile," Dean said, ignoring Kate's look and motioning with the beam of his flashlight towards a pile of clothes next to another pile of mucus on the ground just in front of Sam. Now that she no longer had the immediate urge to puke, Kate was beginning to wonder just what the hell she was looking at.

"Just makes you wonder how many murders he's gotten away with," Sam commented a bit sadly. Kate tore her eyes away from the nasty glob of... _whatever_ it was on the ground and turned to Dean, her mouth open to ask him what the mucus-y stuff was. But as her flashlight cast some light the tunnel behind him, her jaw went slack and her question died on her tongue.

"Drew?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Dean!" Sam yelled and Dean turned, just in time for Drew's eyes to flash to an unearthly silver as he slammed into Dean, knocking him roughly into the cement wall of the tunnel. Dean cried out in pain, clutching at his left shoulder. Sam fired two shots in quick succession as Drew raced away, disappearing within seconds in the dark. Kate stood rooted in place, staring transfixed at the spot Drew disappeared.

"Go get the son of a bitch," Dean growled to his brother, nursing his obviously hurt shoulder.

"Wait!" Kate cried, reaching after Sam as he took off running down the tunnel. She sprinted after him and heard Dean start after her. She tried to catch Sam, to grab him and shake him and ask him why they were hunting her brother. Her brother who was dead. Her brother who's body lay in the St. Louis morgue. Who's body she had just seen this morning, lifeless and cold. But he was too fast. His long legs carried him far ahead of her and she watched as he reached the end of the tunnel and pull himself deftly up the rung ladder leading to the surface. Kate scrambled up after him, barely feeling the helpful boost Dean gave her by putting a hand beneath her butt and pushing her upwards.

"Sam, wait!" Kate pleaded as she reached the surface. Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, but immediately shushed her and motioned for her to sheathe her pistol. It was then she realized they had emerged in the center of a park that was still active, despite the late hour. A couple wandered by, eyeing the threesome nervously before scuttling off. Kate slammed her pistol into its holster on her hip and grabbed Sam's arm.

"Tell me what is happening!" she cried.

"Now's not the time," Dean said shortly as he joined them, tucking his own pistol into his inner jacket pocket. Kate stared at him wide-eyed. "We need to split up. I'll meet you guys on the other side." Sam nodded at him and Dean took off across the park.

"Come on," Sam urged Kate and began loping off in the opposite direction.

Her mind raced as she jogged alongside Sam. She scanned the crowds they passed, frantically trying to find her brother's face, knowing it was insane at the same time. He was dead! But if he was dead, why had she just seen him attack Dean? Why was he looking as lively as ever as he ran around the city of St. Louis?

"Sam, please tell me what the hell is going on," Kate pleaded as they both finally slowed their jog down to a walk. The trail had gone cold. Sam looked down into Kate's tear filled eyes and sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair. He knew this wasn't fair to her. They should have prepared her better, but he knew his brother would agree with him, that neither of them expected the thing to take the shape of Kate's brother.

"Kate, remember what Dean told you in the diner? When you thought he was joking?" he began, hesitantly, continuing to walk down the busy street. Kate kept pace with him and watched him out of the corner of her eye while simultaneously scanning for Drew, unsure where Sam was going with this.

"Yea?"

"Well, he wasn't joking. He really was telling you the truth, but knew you wouldn't believe it," Sam explained, searching the street now for his brother as they neared the designated meeting place. "The thing that killed your brother and Sophia - and framed Zach for his girlfriend's death - is something called a shapeshifter. You're probably more familiar with them than you think, most cultures have stories about these kinds of things - beings who can change into other people or even animals, werewolves, etc." He craned his neck around the corner of a building, then turned and looked the opposite way. Kate appeared in his vision, staring at him dumbly as if he had just sprouted another head.

"You're right. I didn't believe him and I don't believe you," she said, clearly unnerved.

"Then how else do you explain seeing your brother just now?" Sam argued. He was annoyed now, but he calmed his tone when he saw Kate recoil. Where the hell was Dean? He sighed, exasperated. "I get that this is hard for you, I really do. And I don't know how to make it any easier for you now that you're involved like this. There are things out there you've probably only ever heard of in ghost stories and fairy tales, but they're real and they exist, whether you want to believe me or not. That's what my brother and I do, we hunt these things to protect people. Sounds crazy, I know, don't get me wrong; but I guess you just have to take my word for it." Sam's words had barely left his mouth when Dean jogged up from behind them.

"Hey," he called as he approached. "Anything?" Sam shook his head.

"No, he's gone."

"All right, let's get back to the car."

Kate followed Sam and Dean back to the Impala in a daze. The whole way she stared at their backs, imagining them shooting things like... unicorns. She stifled an insane giggle, officially feeling like she was losing it.

"You think he found another way underground?" Sam called as they reached the Impala and Dean stopped by the rear end of the car. Kate ignored the rest of the boys' conversation and idly wandered over to lean against the passenger side door. The silver band on her right hand glinted in the moonlight as she twirled it around and around, her thoughts a thousand miles away. Suddenly Sam shook her hard by the shoulder. Kate bit back a yelp of surprise, but her eyes widened even further when she saw Sam's pistol drawn and a finger held up to his lips meant to shush her. Fearful of some sort of immediate danger, Kate quickly drew her pistol and followed Sam towards the rear of the Impala.

"Don't move!" Sam yelled as he and Kate simultaneously rounded the back end of the large sedan. Kate pointed her gun outwards automatically, but almost lowered it when Dean slowly stood, a confused look plastered on his face. Kate's brow furrowed and she looked sharply at Sam.

"What have you done with him?" Sam shouted.

"Dude, chill. It's me, all right?" Dean said, stressing his words.

"Sam, it's just Dean-" Kate started, beginning to lower her weapon. She was beyond confused and was on the verge of screaming because of it.

"No, I don't think so. Where's my brother?" Sam said, caustically.

"You're about to shoot him, Sam, calm down." Dean held his hands out low in front of his hips, moving slowly so as not to spook his brother or Kate. Sam's finger flexed on the trigger and Kate glanced between the two brothers, unsure of what to do.

"You caught those keys with your left. Your shoulder was hurt," Sam pointed out. He motioned towards Dean's left shoulder with his gun. Dean just looked at him incredulously.

"Yea, and it's better. What do you want me to do, cry?"

"You're not my brother." The malice in Sam's voice surprised Kate, though a slow realization was beginning to dawn on her. All of Sam and Dean's words about shapeshifters ran through her head, as did the memory of her brother suddenly appearing behind Dean in the sewers. She shuddered when she remembered his silver eyes. Could they actually be telling her the truth? Kate shook her head in an attempt to clear the thought. That was ridiculous. But what if...

"Why don't you pull the trigger then, hm? 'Cause you're not sure. Dude, you know me," Dean called out. There was something in his voice that made Kate frown and re-tighten her grip on her gun. By the time she saw it, it was too late.

"Don't!" Sam called out. The sound of metal connecting with bone rang out as Dean whipped a crowbar fast as lightning out of the trunk and smashed it over Sam's head. Sam's unconscious body hadn't even hit the ground when Dean turned on Kate. The last thing her mind registered was the smirk on Dean's face and the flash of metal as he brought the crowbar streaking down towards her face.


End file.
